Variation in number of hits for complex searches in Google Scholar

A systematic review and qualitative research synthesis of the lived experiences and coping of transgender and gender diverse youth 18 years or younger

Background

Research on the daily experiences of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth 18 years or younger is limited, making it essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of their internal and external experiences related to gender identity.

Aim

This systematic review and qualitative research synthesis fills this research gap by examining the lived experiences and coping of TGD youth, including prepubertal children.

Methods

The review was pre-registered according to PROSPERO on the Open Science Framework and followed the ENTREQ reporting guidelines. A Qualitative research synthesis, according to Howell Major and Savin-Baden, was conducted.

Results

Seventeen peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2023 fulfilled inclusion criteria and quality assessment. Synthesized themes were: (1) "Navigating gender identity", with two sub-themes, Meaning-making and Considering visibility (2) "Navigating relations", with four sub-themes: Longing for belonging, Supportive actions, Lack of safety and Coping inside out (3) "Navigating society with two sub-themes Inclusion and exclusion and Beyond control. Our findings demonstrate that TGD youth view gender identity as fluid and benefit from a supportive environment that facilitates genuine exploration. Coping strategies develop intricately, influenced by multifaceted factors.

Discussion

Unlike previous research on the negative effects of minority stress, our review underscores the cumulative impact of subtle daily stressors on TGD youth's well-being, highlighting the significance of an environment where gender is not a constant concern. By shedding light on these dynamics, this synthesis contributes to a comprehensive understanding of TGD youth's perspectives for professionals and a broader audience.

Radiological Study of Atlas Arch Defects with Meta-Analysis and a Proposed New Classification

This study consists of a retrospective cohort study, a systematic review, and a meta-analysis which were separately conducted. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of atlas arch defects, generate an evidence-based synthesis, and propose a common classification system for the anterior and combined atlas arch defects. Atlas arch defects are well-corticated gaps in the anterior or posterior arch of the atlas. When both arches are involved, it is known as a combined arch defect. Awareness of these defects is essential for avoiding complications during surgical procedures on the upper spine. The prevalence of arch defects was investigated in an open-access OPC-Radiomics (Radiomic Biomarkers in Oropharyngeal Carcinoma) dataset comprising 606 head and neck computed tomography scans from oropharyngeal cancer patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to generate prevalence estimates of atlas arch defects and propose a classification system for the anterior and combined atlas arch defects. The posterior arch defect was found in 20 patients (3.3%) out of the 606 patients investigated. The anterior arch defect was not observed in any patient, while a combined arch defect was observed in one patient (0.2%). A meta-analysis of 13,539 participants from 14 studies, including the present study, yielded a pooled-posterior arch defect prevalence of 2.07% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22%-2.92%). The prevalences of anterior and combined arch defects were 0.00% (95% CI, 0.00%-0.10%) and 0.14% (95% CI, 0.04%-0.25%), respectively. The anterior and combined arch defects were classified into five subtypes based on their morphology and frequency. The present study showed that atlas arch defects were present in approximately 2% of the general population. For future studies, larger sample sizes should be used for studying arch defects to avoid the small-study effect and to predict the prevalence accurately.

AI ethics with Chinese characteristics? Concerns and preferred solutions in Chinese academia

Since Chinese scholars are playing an increasingly important role in shaping the national landscape of discussion on AI ethics, understanding their ethical concerns and preferred solutions is essential for global cooperation on governance of AI. This article, therefore, provides the first elaborated analysis on the discourse on AI ethics in Chinese academia, via a systematic literature review. This article has three main objectives. (1) to identify the most discussed ethical issues of AI in Chinese academia and those being left out (the question of "what"); (2) to analyze the solutions proposed and preferred by Chinese scholars (the question of "how"); and (3) to map out whose voices are dominating and whose are in the marginal (the question of "who"). Findings suggest that in terms of short-term implications, Chinese scholars' concerns over AI resemble predominantly the content of international ethical guidelines. Yet in terms of long-term implications, there are some significant differences needed to be further addressed in a cultural context. Further, among a wide range of solution proposals, Chinese scholars seem to prefer strong-binding regulations to those weak ethical guidelines. In addition, this article also found that the Chinese academic discourse was dominated by male scholars and those who are from elite universities, which arguably is not a unique phenomenon in China.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00146-022-01578-w.

The prevalence of Stafne bone cavity: A meta-analysis of 355,890 individuals

Background/purpose

A Stafne bone cavity (SBC) is an incidental depression in the lingual surface of the mandible. The aim of this study is to provide pooled estimates of the frequency of Stafne bone cavity and to correlate its presence with such variables as sex, laterality, diagnostic methods and population.

Materials and methods

Potential studies were searched through four electronic databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Journal Storage. Titles, abstracts, and full texts of the articles were screened.

Results

A total of 54 studies relating to 355,890 subjects met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. A meta-analysis using the DerSimonian-Laird model revealed an overall prevalence of 0.17% (CI:0.14%-0.21%, I ² = 80.7%). SBC was four times more common in males than females (z = 6.94, P < 0.01), and was unilateral in almost all cases (z = 12.90, P < 0.01). Radiographic studies yielded a lower SBC prevalence at 0.12% (CI:0.09%-0.15%, I ² = 71.7%) than computed tomography studies, skeletal studies and excavation studies. Ancient populations had three times higher SBC prevalences (0.47%, CI:0.21%-0.73%, I ² = 89.5%) than the average populations today (z = 3.21, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The prevalence of Stafne bone cavity is approximately 0.17%, and was four times more prevalent in males than females. This variant bone cavity was also present unilaterally in the majority of cases. Awareness of SBC is important for dentists, maxillofacial surgeons and other practitioners performing routine dental practices and interpreting panoramic radiographs.

The effects of COVID-19 on the rehabilitation of persons with aphasia: A scoping review

Background: The impact of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was more pronounced on the well-being of persons with disabilities, especially in low- and middle-income countries. There is documented evidence of the rippling effects of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities. However, not much is known about the impact of COVID-19 on the rehabilitation of persons with aphasia.Objective: The scoping review explores how COVID-19 affected the rehabilitation of persons living with aphasia.Method: A scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. A search was conducted on Science Direct, PubMed, Medline, Scopus, ProQuest and Google Scholar, to identify relevant studies published between 2019 and 2022. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Most studies regarding the effects of COVID-19 on persons living with aphasia were conducted in the United Kingdom. Five themes emerged from the data, namely, (1) negative impact on rehabilitative care, (2) telehealth and its limitations, (3) impact on social participation, (4) compromised caregiver involvement and (5) mental health challenges.Conclusions: Findings highlight the need for healthcare professionals to pursue innovative ways in which aphasia rehabilitation and conversational support programmes can be made accessible to persons with aphasia, despite the limitations brought about by a pandemic. Telerehabilitation programmes need to be tailored to the needs of persons with aphasia if they are to be successful. This study highlights the importance and need for the prioritisation of mental health services for persons with aphasia and their caregivers during a pandemic.

The Supraclavicular Artery Island Flap for Pharynx Reconstruction

The supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) is a reliable, easy-to-harvest and versatile fasciocutaneous flap that can be used for pharynx reconstruction. Instead of free flaps, it requires no microsurgical technique, reduced operating time and postoperative care, making it an ideal option, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary aim of our study was to present two cases of a total laryngectomy and reconstruction with the SCAIF during the pandemic. The secondary aim was to review the literature concerning surgical techniques, complications and contradictions of the SCAIF for pharynx reconstruction. A literature search was performed using the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library, Google Scholar, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases, using MeSH terms: larynx AND reconstruction AND flap. Ten full-text articles comprising 92 patients with 93 supraclavicular flaps were included. The patch graft, pharyngeal interposition graft, tubularization or "U"-shaped SCAIF were the main surgical techniques. Pharyngocutaneous fistula was the most frequent postoperative complication, especially in patients with previous radiotherapy, but just 19% of patients required secondary intervention. The lack of donor-site morbidity, low flap loss rates and stenosis rates favored this reconstructive option. This review underlined that the SCAIF has comparable results with other reconstructive options, consolidating this flap in the workhorse of pharynx reconstruction.

The decreasing prevalence of the thyroid ima artery: A systematic review and machine learning assisted meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Thyroid ima artery is a variant artery found on the anterior surface of the trachea. The aim of this meta-analysis was to obtain pooled prevalence data of the thyroid ima artery and discuss its clinical importance especially for tracheostomy.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed through five electronic databases until May 2021. A set of inclusion and exclusion criteria based on AQUA guidelines were used to select relevant studies. Meta-analysis, subgroup analyses, meta-regression, and tests for publication bias were performed. Factors that influence the prevalence of the thyroid ima artery were detected using simple and interpretable machine learning (linear regression and K means).

RESULTS

Thirty-six studies with a total of 4335 subjects met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of the thyroid ima artery was 3.8% (95% CI: 0.027-0.049, I²=56.2%). Machine learning identified age, region and year of publication as potential covariates. Subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence of the thyroid ima artery was 4.5 times higher in fetuses (14.8%) than adults (3.3%) (z=-6.76, p<0.01). There was a significant negative correlation between the adult prevalence of the thyroid ima artery and the year of publication (Pearson's r=-0.354, p=0.040) thereby suggesting a decline in thyroid ima artery prevalence over time. This artery, if present, may originate from the brachiocephalic trunk (74%), right common carotid artery (9.6%), arch of aorta (7.7%), right internal thoracic artery (4.8%), left common carotid artery (1.9%) and left internal thoracic artery (1.9%).

CONCLUSION

In addition to evidence-based synthesis of the thyroid ima artery, this study is the first ever study to report the decreasing prevalence over time of a human body structure in the postnatal life. Knowledge of the thyroid ima artery is of vital importance for surgeons to avoid accidental hemorrhage during tracheostomy.

Risk and Resilience Factors for Mental Health among Transgender and Gender Nonconforming (TGNC) Youth: A Systematic Review

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of research regarding transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people. The stigma and legal discriminations that this population faces have obvious and documented repercussions for mental health. In 2015, the American Psychological Association (APA) published Guidelines for Psychological Practice with TGNC People. The APA noted that due to the nuances of working with TGNC youth and the dearth of related literature, the guidelines focus primarily on TGNC adults. To date, there has not been a systematic review of risk and resilience factors for mental health among TGNC children, adolescents, and young adults under the age of 25. Forty-four peer-reviewed articles met inclusion criteria for this systematic review, and were evaluated for their methodological rigor and their findings. Common risk factors for negative mental health variables included physical and verbal abuse, exposure to discrimination, social isolation, poor peer relations, low self-esteem, weight dissatisfaction, and age. Across studies, older children and adolescents tended to report higher rates of psychological distress. Resilience-promoting factors for mental health were also documented, including parent connectedness, social support, school safety and belonging, and the ability to use one's chosen name. By synthesizing the existing literature using a resilience-focused and minority stress framework, the present review provides clinicians and researchers with a coherent evidence-base to better equip them to promote psychological adaptation and wellbeing among TGNC youth.

Commentary to Gusenbauer and Haddaway 2020: Evaluating retrieval qualities of Google Scholar and PubMed

We read with considerable interest the study by Gusenbauer and Haddaway (Gusenbauer and Haddaway, 2020, Research Synthesis Methods, doi:10.1002/jrsm.1378) comparing the systematic search qualities of 28 search systems, including Google Scholar (GS) and PubMed. Google Scholar and PubMed are the two most popular free academic search tools in biology and chemistry, with GS being the number one search tool in the world. Those academics using GS as their principal system for literature searches may be unaware of research which enumerates five critical features for scientific literature tools that greatly influenced Gusenbauer's 2020 study. Using this list as the framework for a targeted comparison between just GS and PubMed, we found stark differences which overwhelmingly favored PubMed. In this comment, we show that by comparing the characteristics of the two search tools, features that are particularly useful in one search tool, but are missing in the other, are strikingly spotlighted. One especially popular feature that ubiquitously appears in GS, but not in PubMed, is the forward citation search found under every citation as a clickable Cited by N link. We seek to improve the PubMed search experience using two approaches. First, we request that PubMed add Cited by N links, making them as omnipresent as the GS links. Second, we created an open‐source command‐line tool, pmidcite, which is used alongside PubMed to give information to researchers to help with the choice of the next paper to examine, analogous to how GS's Cited by N links help to guide users. Find pmidcite at https://github.com/dvklopfenstein/pmidcite.

Which academic search systems are suitable for systematic reviews or meta-analyses? Evaluating retrieval qualities of Google Scholar, PubMed, and 26 other resources

Rigorous evidence identification is essential for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (evidence syntheses) because the sample selection of relevant studies determines a review's outcome, validity, and explanatory power. Yet, the search systems allowing access to this evidence provide varying levels of precision, recall, and reproducibility and also demand different levels of effort. To date, it remains unclear which search systems are most appropriate for evidence synthesis and why. Advice on which search engines and bibliographic databases to choose for systematic searches is limited and lacking systematic, empirical performance assessments. This study investigates and compares the systematic search qualities of 28 widely used academic search systems, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science. A novel, query-based method tests how well users are able to interact and retrieve records with each system. The study is the first to show the extent to which search systems can effectively and efficiently perform (Boolean) searches with regards to precision, recall, and reproducibility. We found substantial differences in the performance of search systems, meaning that their usability in systematic searches varies. Indeed, only half of the search systems analyzed and only a few Open Access databases can be recommended for evidence syntheses without adding substantial caveats. Particularly, our findings demonstrate why Google Scholar is inappropriate as principal search system. We call for database owners to recognize the requirements of evidence synthesis and for academic journals to reassess quality requirements for systematic reviews. Our findings aim to support researchers in conducting better searches for better evidence synthesis.

Advances in Retrieval and Dissemination of Medical Information

In recent years, there has been a dramatic change in how information can be disseminated in the scientific world. This is especially true for health care in general, and exotic pet practice hardly makes an exception. From the constant growth of online repositories that archives scholarly articles such as PubMed, to the creation of hashtags specific for health care that can be followed by millions of persons, we need to understand that communication is changing and that the proper use of modern technologies may result in an unprecedented era for knowledge retrieval and dissemination.

Filter bubbles in interdisciplinary research: a case study on climate and society

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare the content of Web of Science (WoS) and Google Scholar (GS) by searching the interdisciplinary field of climate and ancient societies. The authors aim at analyzing the retrieved documents by open availability, received citations, co-authors and type of publication.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors searched the services by a defined set of keyword. Data were retrieved and analyzed using a variety of bibliometric tools such as Publish or Perish, Sci2Tool and Gephi. In order to determine the proportion of open full texts based on the WoS result, the authors relocated the records in GS, using an off-campus internet connection.

Findings

The authors found that the top 1,000 downloadable and analyzable GS items matched poorly with the items retrieved by WoS. Based on this approach (subject searching), the services appeared complementary rather than similar. Even though the first search results differ considerably by service, almost each single WoS title could be located in GS. Based on GS’s full text recognition, the authors found 74 percent of WoS items openly available and the citation median of these was twice as high as for documents behind paywalls.

Research limitations/implications

Even though the study is a case study, the authors believe that findings are transferable to other interdisciplinary fields. The share of freely available documents, however, may depend on the investigated field and its culture toward open publishing.

Practical implications

Discovering the literature of interdisciplinary fields puts scholars in a challenging situation and requires a better understanding of the existing infrastructures. The authors hope that the paper contributes to that and can advise the research and library communities.

Originality/value

In light of an overwhelming and exponentially growing amount of literature, the bibliometric approach is new in a library context.

Roles for librarians in systematic reviews: a scoping review

Objective

What roles do librarians and information professionals play in conducting systematic reviews? Librarians are increasingly called upon to be involved in systematic reviews, but no study has considered all the roles librarians can perform. This inventory of existing and emerging roles aids in defining librarians’ systematic reviews services.

Methods

For this scoping review, the authors conducted controlled vocabulary and text-word searches in the PubMed; Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts; and CINAHL databases. We separately searched for articles published in the Journal of the European Association for Health Information and Libraries, Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, the Journal of the Canadian Heath Libraries Association, and Hypothesis. We also text-word searched Medical Library Association annual meeting poster and paper abstracts.

Results

We identified 18 different roles filled by librarians and other information professionals in conducting systematic reviews from 310 different articles, book chapters, and presented papers and posters. Some roles were well known such as searching, source selection, and teaching. Other less documented roles included planning, question formulation, and peer review. We summarize these different roles and provide an accompanying bibliography of references for in-depth descriptions of these roles.

Conclusion

Librarians play central roles in systematic review teams, including roles that go beyond searching. This scoping review should encourage librarians who are fulfilling roles that are not captured here to document their roles in journal articles and poster and paper presentations.

Compliance of systematic reviews in veterinary journals with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) literature search reporting guidelines

Objective

Complete, accurate reporting of systematic reviews facilitates assessment of how well reviews have been conducted. The primary objective of this study was to examine compliance of systematic reviews in veterinary journals with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for literature search reporting and to examine the completeness, bias, and reproducibility of the searches in these reviews from what was reported. The second objective was to examine reporting of the credentials and contributions of those involved in the search process.

Methods

A sample of systematic reviews or meta-analyses published in veterinary journals between 2011 and 2015 was obtained by searching PubMed. Reporting in the full text of each review was checked against certain PRISMA checklist items.

Results

Over one-third of reviews (37%) did not search the CAB Abstracts database, and 9% of reviews searched only 1 database. Over two-thirds of reviews (65%) did not report any search for grey literature or stated that they excluded grey literature. The majority of reviews (95%) did not report a reproducible search strategy.

Conclusions

Most reviews had significant deficiencies in reporting the search process that raise questions about how these searches were conducted and ultimately cast serious doubts on the validity and reliability of reviews based on a potentially biased and incomplete body of literature. These deficiencies also highlight the need for veterinary journal editors and publishers to be more rigorous in requiring adherence to PRISMA guidelines and to encourage veterinary researchers to include librarians or information specialists on systematic review teams to improve the quality and reporting of searches.